Nightmares
by RuthWriter
Summary: "She grabs a fistful of Tommy's shirt. It's become a ritual. She can't imagine waking from this nightmare, and not having anyone to call. In the absence of her biological brother, she began to adopt a new one." I personally wish they had dipped further into the sibling-like relationship between Tommy and Thea. So that's what I do in this one-shot.


**A/N: So I am now dabbling into the wonderful fanfiction universe that is the Arrow fandom. I always felt that Thea/Tommy's sibling like relationship could have been explored better in the show, and after last night's episode, this just kinda appeared in my head. I have a hard time getting a grasp om Thea's character in the early part of season one, which is why she, and Tommy, might possibly seem a little OOC. As far as timeline, this should take place in the few days after Oliver got back, and long before Laurel and Tommy were doing anything but sleeping together. Hope you enjoy.**

* * *

Oliver crosses down the hallway. The moonlight catches upon a painting that's been there as long as he can remember. Everything about this house is familiar. But at the same time, it's strange. He still hasn't grown accustomed to awakening in a bed in the mansion. He supposes five years away from said bed will do that to you. He's about to turn and walk down the hall when he hears a strangled cry of terror. He whips around towards the sound, moving quickly towards his sisters room. He's about to open the door when he hears something that makes him stop dead in his tracks. A male voice.

Tommy's voice.

* * *

Thea's still shaking, and she doesn't think she'll stop any time soon. Same dream as always; Oliver and her father, bobbing in the ocean, both just within her reach. But she can't save both, and before she can ever make her decision, they both sink into the depths of the cold, unforgiving sea.

She grabs a fistful of Tommy's shirt. It's become a ritual. She can't imagine waking from this nightmare, and not having anyone to call. In the absence of her biological brother, she began to adopt a new one.

* * *

Once she has a nightmare, every moment of sleep she catches that night will be filled with them. They started when she was about thirteen years old. That's about when she started to really understand what happened to her brother and father. The first few nights, she'd stay up, spending the night doing who knows what. Then, after almost a week straight of hardly any sleep, Tommy began to notice the dark circles. He'd come over one day, to visit. As her brothers best friend, he tended to stop by. He seemed to feel as though it was his responsibility to look after her. When she finally confessed the cause for her lack of sleep, he told her that if it happened again, she should call him.

That night, she awoke in a cold sweat, and reached for the phone, dialing his all too familiar number. He'd answered after about the 4th ring, in a slightly husky voice. Obviously he'd been sleeping, and Thea felt a bit guilty. She apologized quickly and hung up the phone. She knew she wouldn't be getting back to sleep, so she flipped on a lamp and picked up a book. The beating of her chest was just about to calm when she heard a tap against her window. She crept across the room and parted the curtain, only to see Tommy Merlyn perched in a tree. She quickly opened the window.

He'd stayed throughout the rest of the night, talking to her about school, celebrities, and even fashion. Some nights, they spoke of her mother and sometimes, even her brother and father.

Eventually, she'd fall asleep, and soon enough, back into the nightmare. But she was awakened by strong arms around her, rocking her silently, until her thumping heart stilled. Sometimes she cried. Sometimes she didn't. But he was there.

* * *

After that first night, whenever she had a nightmare, she'd call Tommy. In fact, the nightmares became so frequent, he spent more nights in her room than his own. It was a strictly platonic time, and on those nights, Thea felt as if she had a brother.

"Same nightmare?"

Thea nods against his shoulder, not even bothering to wipe the tears from her cheeks.

"He's back you know. Your brother, Oliver, is right down that hallway. He's alive, and he's not drowning in an ocean." His hands grip tighter at her waist.

"Oliver Queen is back. But my brother is not."

"Thea..." Tommy begins to release her, moving to look into her eyes. "You know he went through hell on that island. But he just needs time. I believe he's still the same Oliver, he's just..."

"I felt closer to him when he was dead. All he's done since he got back was judge me. Honestly, I think the Ollie I knew died on that ship." Thea moved to the edge of the bed, grabbing for her robe. She stood up, moving to stand directly across from him.

"Why are you here anyway? Shouldn't you be at Laurel's right now?" It came out a bit cold and jealous, and she sounded like a bit of a bitch, but at the moment, she couldn't care less. Over the years, Tommy had become more than her dead brother's best friend. He became hers too. And while they had a sibling bond, she also harbored an small crush on him. That, combined with the fact that his relationship with Laurel had cut their time together considerably down, caused her to have very mixed feelings about the brunette bombshell.

"You've been tired. I've noticed. This isn't the first time you've had these nightmares in a while, is it?"

Thea shook her head, looking down at the carpet. A few silent moments passed until Tommy spoke again, this time, his voice a bit softer.

"Why didn't you call me?"

"Well you've been a bit busy with Laurel. I figured you wouldn't want me interrupting because I had a nightmare again. It's been four years of me calling you almost every other night. You deserve to have a life Tommy." She turned away, crossing to the window.

"I think it's over with Laurel."

She turned back. "What? Why? Is it because of tonight-"

"No," he cut her off, moving to stand by her, "I see the way she looks at Oliver. It's always been him. Even when he was 'dead'...she was still in love with him."

Thea sighed, putting her hands on his shoulders. "I'm sorry Tommy."

He just shrugged. Then he grabbed her hand, pulling her back towards her bed. He pushed her back under the covers, taking his position on the far side of the large bed. "And one more thing.

I've told you this once, and I'll tell you again; don't even hesitate to call me. You mean more to me than any silly old tryst. I love you kid."

Thea smiled as he pressed a kiss to her forehead. "I love you too."

* * *

Oliver stepped back from the door. A million thoughts raced through his head. Part of him wanted to kill Tommy for being in bed with his sister, even though he knew it was platonic. A part of him felt horrible for putting Tommy through heartbreak, but at the same token, Laurel was his girlfriend to start with.

It was a horribly confusing situation, and he'd have to eventually confront ever single piece of it. But one thing was for certain, he was going to have to work hard to build a relationship with his sister. He's just glad she has Tommy in the meantime.

* * *

**A/N: Thanks for reading, and if you don't mind, please drop a review on your way out. **


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